Ring of Kerry Tour & Sheepdog Trials

Dromoland Castle Hotel

Tour Ends At Dromoland

Itinerary

DAY

LOCATION(S)

HOTEL

MEALS

DESCRIPTION

Day 1

Limerick, Ireland

None

Dinner

Tour begins 2:00 PM at your Limerick hotel. Following a short trip around Limerick, you'll step back in time at King John's Castle. Immerse yourself in the rich history of Limerick with costumed guides and touchscreen technology. Then join your group for a welcome drink before heading to Knappogue or Bunratty Castle where you'll dine at a medieval‐style banquet.
(D)

Day 2

Cliffs of Moher & River Shannon Ferry

None

None

Take in the spectacular beauty of the Cliffs of Moher, soaring 700 feet above the Atlantic surf. Travel to St Tola's Goat Farm to learn all about the making of goat cheese before sampling. Relax on a ferry ride across the River Shannon Estuary, and travel on to Killarney. Enjoy free time before dinner.
(B, D)

Day 3

Ring of Kerry Tour & Sheepdog Trials

None

None

Embark on Ireland's most popular scenic drive, the Ring of Kerry, with plenty of stops to capture photos of Ireland's natural beauty and some of the locations from the film “Star Wars VII.” Passing through Waterville and the village of Sneem, stop at Moll's Gap for views of the mountainous Macgillycuddy's Reeks. Travel via jaunting car to Ross Castle & Killarney Estate. Experience farm life at a nearby farm and watch specially trained dogs herding sheep. Return to Killarney for dinner at the award-winning Rozzers Restaurant at The Killeen House.
(B, D)

Day 4

Blarney, Ireland

None

None

Visit the famous Blarney Castle and kiss the “Stone of Eloquence” or walk through the lovely parklands and gardens. Treat yourself to quality Irish‐made goods at the Blarney Woollen Mills. Head to the Cobh Heritage Centre where you can trace your ancestors, learn more about the ill-fated Titanic and Lusitania, or immerse yourself in the history of Irish emigrants. Relax as you follow the coastal route to Waterford. In the evening take a gentle walk with a local historian who will reveal Waterford’s Viking and medieval past.
(B, D)

Day 5

Waterford, Ireland

None

None

Witness the creation of crystal masterpieces during your visit to the House of Waterford Crystal. Travel through the scenery of the Wicklow Mountains on the way to Glendalough, one of Ireland's most beautiful destinations. There you'll explore the remains of one of the most important monastic sites in Ireland, founded by St. Kevin in the 6th century. Continue on to an elegant Victorian mansion overlooking Dublin Bay and Dun Laoghaire Harbour ‐‐ your hotel for the night. Dine on Irish specialties at the Merry Ploughboy Pub while enjoying a lively show of traditional Irish songs and step-dancing.
(B, D)

Day 6

Dublin, Ireland

None

Breakfast

Take a morning guided tour of Dublin. Highlights include elegant Georgian townhouses with brightly painted doors, the River Liffey, and the Glasnevin Cemetery Museum, Ireland's largest cemetery and a who's who of modern Irish history. Enjoy free time to explore and dine on your own.
(B)

Day 7

Dromoland Castle Hotel

None

None

Visit the home of equine royalty, The Irish National Stud, where you'll see immaculately‐bred stallions alongside protective mares, frolicking foals, and athletic yearlings. Stroll around the delightful grounds to explore St. Fiachra's Garden, including its miniature Japanese Gardens. Travel to the imposing and deluxe Dromoland Castle Hotel. Relax in the elegant surroundings of this wonderful fairytale castle. Savor a delicious farewell dinner in the oak‐paneled dining room ‐‐ a fitting way to spend the last evening of your Irish tour.
(B, D)

Day 8

Tour Ends At Dromoland

None

Breakfast

Your program ends after breakfast.
(B)
B: Breakfast; L: Lunch; D: Dinner
All components of this tour (hotels, visits and attractions) for 2019 itineraries are subject to change until finalized in September 2018.
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Tour Features

Experience(s)

Experiences have not been selected at this time

Description

The perfect travel experience for first-time visitors to Ireland. Fly into Shannon Airport and stay in Limerick with a visit to King John’s Castle. Travel around the southern coastline to Killarney, Blarney, Cobh, Waterford and Dublin. End in Dublin or spoil yourself by staying at the world-famous luxurious Dromoland Castle Hotel.

About Us

CIE Tours is the Premier Specialty Tour Operator offering the highest quality and widest range of programs to Ireland and Britain. Our reputation for security, reliability and utmost satisfaction is well known in the travel world. We have been serving this destination for 85 years and are held in the highest of esteem.
CIE Tours' array of tour itineraries and luxury chauffeur-drive options allows you to explore these countries on a personal level, to create an in-depth travel experience that will resonate with your interests and desires.

Reviews and Recommendations for CIE Tours International

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Recommended

Knowledgeable efficient & friendly service

By: DRBSLP

Reviewed on: 10 Aug 2016

We were very pleased with our CIE tour. We were happy with the places that we visited & time allowed. The coach driver was an excellent driver, friendly & knowledgeable. One suggestion would be to provide a brief written page/summary of the days events & be sure everyone knows ahead of time of any adjustments in timing of events. Thanks overall great job! We would recommend CIE & go with them again ourselves.

B&B may not be for everyone

By: HORSE COUNTRY PEOPLE

Reviewed on: 04 Oct 2016

we had booked the B&B and self-drive with CIE tour, the Hop on and off bus was included in Dublin for 2 days, but the CIE bus was on strike; we end up got tickets for the Red color bus. When we arrived at Dawn house at Waterford, om 09/11 @230pm, the owner were not at home, we had to drive around to find a place to eat and got back to the place late at night, and on Sunday all the shops at downtown Waterford were closed. We stayed 2 night at Beechwood house @ Blarney, for 2 night from 09/12-09/14, on the day we are about to check out @1030am, the male owner knock the door and ask us when are we leaving, while my husband taking a shower.... We arrived at Beechgrove Farmhouse at Clare on 09/16 @230pm, and nobody was home, and we had to drive around to go somewhere to eat,the owner said she would be back at 330pm. It seemed to me that when we were travelling and tried to be respective to their countries, but it seemed that we were not being treated the same way we were expected

Recommended

Experts! Ran like clockwork

By: Tracey1

Reviewed on: 26 Oct 2016

Our driver and tour guide, Tom, was wonderful. He ran our trip seamlessly and was friendly and knowledgable. we could not have had a better experience. Our trip was busy but we still had down time and never felt rushed. I would absolutely travel with this company in the future.

Scotland

By: Karen

Reviewed on: 12 Jun 2017

This is the way to vacation when you prefer to see multiple sites and cities. Ian Walker was our tour guide and he was excellent. Very knowledgeable and tailored the visit to our group needs. We would never have been able to experience this very positive trip if my sister and I were trying to do this on our own.

Loved our driver/guide

By: katmcl

Reviewed on: 18 Jul 2017

This was our first trip overseas, and we are so glad we went with a tour group. We didn't have to worry about anything once we got on the plane. Our driver/guide, Nigel, was so impressive in the way he was able to navigate through busy narrow streets. He knew alternative routes that would help us avoid the worst rush hour traffic. The best thing about Nigel, though, was the stories and history he told about the area. We would never get that just driving ourselves around. His love of Ireland and Dublin was infectious. He had the right touch of humor, personality, and properness. We were able to get right into all of the places we visited. Tickets were ready, no standing in line, and a guide ready to give us some background. Checking into hotels was also streamlined, no waiting. I would love to do another CIE Tour, and if I go back to Ireland, I would love to be on a trip with Nigel!

Ireland

By: Alba

Reviewed on: 17 Jul 2017

We were very pleased with our tour throughout Ireland. We covered a lot of ground in 10 days, which was what we wanted. We wanted to see as much as possible. The choice of visited sights was a good mix to hit varied interest levels. Outside of some meals, most of the events were included in the tour price. The bus was clean and comfortable and our guide/driver was knowledgeable, personable, and humorous. We appreciated staying on schedule so we didn't miss out on any sight-seeing. I highly recommend CIE Tours for Ireland. It's a great trip!

CIE PUB TOUR

By: JG

Reviewed on: 24 Jul 2017

Thoroughly enjoyed the Pub Tour. Hotels were in a great central location. No extras or hidden costs. Would have preferred more time in Galway or Westport rather than Spanish Point, but do understand the time constraints. Only criticism is would have expected more meals in Pubs rather than Hotel. All in all, though, it was a great tour and will definitely go on another CIE tour in the future.

Trip of a Lifetime

By: The Queen

Reviewed on: 05 Aug 2017

This was our second CIE tour and we could'nt have been more pleased. Bob, our tour guide, gave us a thorough history of Ireland. He told personal stories of growing up in Ireland and delighted us with his tales. He were treated like royality and will certainly look forward to our next CIE tour.

Ireland

By: Anne

Reviewed on: 27 Aug 2017

Our Irish Adventure

By: Karen Kennedy

Reviewed on: 03 Oct 2017

The CIE tour was very good. The Mystical Ireland itinerary was just where we wanted to go, and the hotels and food were good. If I had any issues it would be with our tour guide, Sean. He got a bit testy as the trip went on, and made me uncomfortable when he scolded us in front of the other travelers. He told me he's been doing CIE tours for 23 years and I think he's tired of answering the same questions over and over. Our driver, Brian, was excellent. The private driver who met us at Bunratty Castle Hotel, Raphael Mulally was beyond excellent. He was friendly, accommodating, funny and very interesting. He really knows Ireland! We will hire him again on our next visit.

Tim B

By: Tim B

Reviewed on: 06 Nov 2017

Tour Operation

By: Deni

Reviewed on: 26 Apr 2018

It was excellent. This tour was the Scottish Dream.
Our Tour Director, Ian, was excellent and even wore
his kilt two days of the tour. The hotels were actually
better than the ones in Ireland. With the exception of
Jury's Inn, Glasgow, we had 4-star accommodations and
MacDonald Holyrood Hotel, Edinburgh, could be considered
a 5-star. The food was not fancy but was very good at each hotel.
We have traveled with Tauck Tours on several occasions and
can say without reservation that this CIE tour was comparable to
Tauck without the extra expense.

Recommended

Ireland Hotels were Amazing - London was not

By: Travel Girl

Reviewed on: 07 Jun 2018

I did not book any tours through CIE, but our hotels were. Ireland hotels were beyond amazing, but our London hotel was beyond awful.

2018 Scots Irish Tour

By: Kathy

Reviewed on: 16 Jun 2018

We had a very good trip with CIE tours. It was our first experience on that type tour and we were pleased with our choice. Would use their company again.
The only issue we had was that a "Get Up and Go" booklet was not included with the documents that were sent from CIE. That booklet had information that would have been helpful to us prior to leaving for the trip.

Great tour and Guide

By: Craftylady plus 1

Reviewed on: 09 Jul 2018

My husband and I recently toured Northern Ireland with CIE. We knew we would have a great trip since this was our third tour with CIE. Obviously we have high expectations for great service. CIE did not disappoint!!
Our tour guide/bus driver (Mike) made the best out of a tough situation. We were there through an unusual heat wave. He had the air conditioner on the bus serviced one evening to make sure it was as efficient as possible and bought bottled water and kept it chilled on the bus for us.
His in-depth knowledge of local life and history added so much to our trip. We also enjoyed his sense of humor!!!

We expected a lot but got more!

By: A Parent Lee

Reviewed on: 03 Sep 2018

We took the taste of Scotland and Ireland tour. What beautiful countries! Our tour was very well planned out so as to maximize our experience. I will use CIE again in the future. Our guides Ross and Austin were fabulous. They were both very knowledgeable and a lot of fun to be with. Austin has nerves of steel while driving the bus. For anyone thinking of taking this tour, please don't hesitate. It is more than worth it! Slainte!

Rock'n Britian and Ireland

By: PAT

Reviewed on: 30 Sep 2018

Our Tour Directors and driver were the best. We got a detailed history of everywhere we went. We never felt lost or out of touch. The coach was very comfortable and our driver Garry more than accommodating.We only wish we could have stayed longer. All the hotels were lovely! The only disappointment was with the Marriot in Glasgow. We felt a little unwelcome and in addition they wanted to charge us 10 Pounds per day to use the internet. Ridiculous! After and lot of complaining, the manager got us on as a guest and didn't charge us. We will never stay at another Marriot unless nothing else is available.

Taste of Wales

By: Babs

Reviewed on: 25 Sep 2018

Having done 2 previous tours with CIE, this one was not up to par. It seems the whole trip we were rushed when visiting sites. The guide was not as informative as previous guides.
We had a great driver-Michael Ware.
He was always courteous and helped getting us out of the bus for those who needed a little more time.

Trip to Scotland & Ireland

By: Zara

Reviewed on: 29 Sep 2018

Wonderful! I have never enjoyed a tour more than the one our Irish tour guide , Colum Clarke led. Every day he gave us interesting history from 800 to the present day, told us Irish jokes, and played Irish music. He also was personally attentive to me as an older adult: helped across several streets, put my backpack on the bus, and helped me up some difficult stairs.
Onya, our Scottish guide, was also very good.
I greatly recommend both of these tour guides who make this a wonderful trip!

CIE tours

By: Armida

Reviewed on: 03 Oct 2018

They were great, we chose the self-guided tour to Ireland! The hotels they selected were close to restaurants, pubs and other points of interest! When checking in to hotels and rental car desk, everything was prearranged and we did not encounter any issues as all of our reservations were waiting for us! The car included a GPS device; the navigation device was a lifesaver and it routed us to the most charming back-roads of south west Ireland.
We were very pleased with CIE. We will surely use CIE for future trips.
Btw, the backpacks, for each in our party of four, were very nice and filled with goodies such as an electrical converter and a rain poncho. Thank you!

Colm Fitzgibbon CIE Tours

By: F and V and Co.

Reviewed on: 07 Oct 2018

Our tour guide Colm was excellent! He was very knowledgeable about every place we traveled thru and to. He was also very personable and funny. We (all 10 of us!) had a great time on our tour of Ireland South.

Scots Irish Tour

By: AMP

Reviewed on: 15 Oct 2018

Tour was fantastic.
ALL guides were fully knowledgeable about their particular area AND the United States as well and how Scotland and Ireland influenced the US. Walking tour guides were wonderful. Annika was REALLY good and NIGEL WAS WONDERFUL. He sang to us!
The full day in Dublin (Monday) was pretty much a waste. We should have flown out on Monday. Bus didn't show up at hotel to take us to Hop On Hop Off. We stood waiting on the street for over an hour. Alot of people rented taxis. (Hotel said CIE should have arranged the bus that never came; however Nigel told us the hotel would take care of this.) We walked to St Stephens Green to catch Hop On Hop Off. All museums closed on Mondays. Very disappointed in the last hotel. No heat until November. Cold, high winds. They brought us a heater that had 3 (of 4) legs broken and THEY TRIED TO PROP A HEATER UP AGAINST THE DESK!!! We wouldn't allow them to do that. They also told us that this was their LAST heater. Don't use this hotel a

Honeymoon in Ireland

By: KD

Reviewed on: 22 Oct 2018

We had an enjoyable time on the CIE tour that we took. Our driver/tour guide was fantastic. Every detail was expertly taken care of and it was smooth sailing all the way. It was the first tour we had taken and it was a very pleasant experience and a great way to get to visit many sites and places in a short amount of time.

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